Aug 07

ENC study: the impact of COVID-19 on media consumption among vulnerable communities in Central Asia

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ENC study: the impact of COVID-19 on media consumption among vulnerable communities in Central Asia

The European Neighbourhood Council (ENC), in cooperation with Internews Central Asia, presented the preliminary findings of their new study during an online event, which took place on August 6th, and was live streamed on Facebook. The study aims to provide a mapping of media and information consumption among three target communities (labour migrants, refugees/stateless persons and ethnic minorities) during the COVID-19 pandemic, while also identifying their vulnerabilities and risks of social exclusion.

Andreas Marazis, ENC Head of Research, Samuel Doveri Vesterbye, ENC Managing Director and Shairbek Dzhuraev, co-founder and director of Crossroads Central Asia shared early findings of their research on media consumption among vulnerable communities in Central Asia, the impact of COVID-19 and the link between access to information and poorer socio-economic conditions.

The first results arising from the quantitative data survey, which reached thousands of interviewees, showed that COVID-19 had a tremendous impact on the living conditions of these communities. Over 50% of labour migrants in the region are currently unemployed, a number which is due to increase over time, while poverty among refugees is becoming more widespread.

At the same time, the findings demonstrated that these communities lack coverage in most media platforms (TV, radio, press and online media) across the region and need to be more representated through different minority languages beyond Russian.

The results also indicate that the levels of uncertainty for all groups rose, including unemployment. However, labour migrants and refugees/stateless people are far more at risk of job uncertainty. Concerning income levels, refugees and stateless people reported the lowest levels, followed by labour migrants, whereas ethnic minorities reported the most financially secure status among the three groups.

The graphics below demonstrate some of these figures:

When it comes to media consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of internet is widespread among all communities with an absolute majority confirming online platforms as their preferred medium to access news and information, with the exception of Uzbekistan, where social media usage is low in comparison. Language concerns on COVID-19 information are also high among all groups and range between 10 and 20% of individuals within these communities desiring other languages than the ones available to obtain information.

Overall, there were varying degrees of trust towards government in terms of their handling of the new Coronavirus and availability of information, standing at 50/50 in most countries. However, many individuals simply did not have access to diverse and/or quality information, or the tools to access it.

ENC and Internews Central Asia will continue their research until the end of September 2020, looking into finalising the report by the end of October 2020.

You can access the video of the online event here.

Jul 20

Online discussion: The human dimension to EU-Uzbekistan relations: youth, exchange, and a better life

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Online discussion: The human dimension to EU-Uzbekistan relations: youth, exchange, and a better life

The European Neighbourhood Council (ENC), in cooperation with the Embassy of Uzbekistan to Belgium, organised an online discussion on 16 July 2020 dedicated to “The human dimension to EU-Uzbekistan relations: youth, exchange, and a better life”.

This discussion aimed at identifying common ground with Uzbekistan on the improvement of relations through fellowships, people-to-people contact, exchange and youth aspirations. Important notions like increasing the visibility of the EU, and a better understanding of the needs of young people were highlighted throughout the event. Uzbekistan’s new reform process was also underlined as key to advance the new Enhanced Parternership and Cooperation Agreement, a milestone in EU-Uzbekistan relations, and much needed to foster youth development, business environment and economic cooperation.

The debate was moderated by ENC Managing Director, Samuel Doveri Vesterbye, and featured remarks by Ilhan Kyuchyuk, MEP from the Renew Europe Group and newly appointed Rapporteur for Uzbekistan in the European Parliament. Mr. Kyuchyuk took this first opportunity to share his thoughts on the EU relations with the country since his nomination, noting that the current momentum is very positive seeing as reforms well on going ahead of the signature of the new Enhanced Parternership and Cooperation Agreement. While there are challenges, he noted that there is also a lot of room for the EU and Uzbekistan to “get to know each other better” and foster opportunities of cooperation in priority areas such as civil society engagement, education, sustainability, water management, labour migration, connectivity and radicalisation. He added that nothing is sustainable and stable without democracy and people-centered policies, which the ENC has been promoting through fellowships and training for Central Asian young academics.

Andreas Marazis, ENC Head of Research for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, presented his paper for the first time, which was the background to the discussion, and provided some insights on the notion of good life in the region and the main results of his research. He noted that Central Asian youths rank family, wealth, economy, health, employment, social status and security as the main priorities for a good life, in line with European priorities too. In the views of Central Asians, this concept is closely interlinked with socio-economic development and better relations with European partners.

The pannel also featured H.E. Ambassador Dilyor Khakimov, Ambassador of Uzbekistan to the EU, a representative of Akmal Burkhanov, chair of the Yuksalish (Progress) National Movement, Maciej Madalinski, Deputy Team Leader for Central Asian countries and Mongolia at DG DEVCO, Gulnoza Ismailova, Vice Rector of University World Economy & Diplomacy and Sanja Valiev, Deputy Director of the Institute of Strategic and Interregional Studies.

All speakers agreed that the focus on youth is an absolute priority for Uzbekistan and Central Asia, underlining that the EU should support prosperity and resilience, living up to the new EU Strategy for Central Asia, both in urban and rural areas, promoting exchanges, people-to-people contacts, funding opportunities for civil society organisations, vocational trainings and women representation.

You can find the full discussion: here

Apr 07

The Future of Europe and Turkey Through Education: Online Learning Initiatives for Youth in Turkey

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The Future of Europe and Turkey Through Education: Online Learning Initiatives for Youth in Turkey

The European Neighbourhood Council (ENC), together with the EU Delegation in Turkey and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in Turkey (FNFT) implemented a new project on “The Future of Europe & Turkey Through Education” Online Training Programme in 2020-2021, building on identified best practices of the Turkey Training and Lecture Programme 2018-2020 (TTP). A group of 60 opinion shapers composed of members of Civil Society organisations (CSO), journalists/bloggers, students and academics across Turkey, including urban centers such as Adana, Diyarbakir, Samsun were invited to participate in the four online training sessions, which took place throughout November and December 2020. The first session covered the topic of Deciphering disinformation and fact-checking methods (26/11/2020), the second was dedicated to Understanding how GDPR works (02/12/2020). The third session was on the topic of Transparency and Investigative Journalism (04/12/2020), while the fourth and last sessions was about Mapping access to funding in Turkey (08/12/2020).

May 31

NATO Public Diplomacy Division (PDD) Grants

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NATO Public Diplomacy Division (PDD) Grants

European Neighbourhood Council, in cooperation with the Centre for Global Studies “Strategy XXI” and with the support of NATO Information and Documentation Centre in Kyiv, organised during 2018 a two-day conference in Kyiv including a high level discussion in the Committee of Foreign Affairs of the Verkhovna Rada, with the objective of fostering new thinking and alternative security policy formats for NATO/EU relations with Ukraine.

May 30

Two-day High Level Conference in Kyiv: “Ensuring Security in Ukraine and Eastern Europe: New Formats for NATO/EU Cooperation with Ukraine”

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Two-day High Level Conference in Kyiv: “Ensuring Security in Ukraine and Eastern Europe: New Formats for NATO/EU Cooperation with Ukraine”

European Neighbourhood Council in cooperation with the Centre for Global Studies “Strategy XXI”, the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and with the support of NATO Information and Documentation Centre (NIDC) in Kyiv, held a two-day conference entitled “Ensuring Security in Ukraine and Eastern Europe: New Formats for NATO/EU Cooperation with Ukraine”. The two-day high level conference in Ukraine was a key opportunity for policy-makers in Kyiv and for NATO and EU officials based in Ukraine and Brussels to discuss for the first time about alternative formats of cooperation between the EU, NATO and Ukraine in the framework of the EU-NATO Enhanced Cooperation, focusing specifically on Cyber Security and Strategic Communication.

Apr 07

Understanding Future Values: Youth and Interaction across the EU and Turkey

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Understanding Future Values: Youth and Interaction across the EU and Turkey

The European Neighbourhood Council (ENC) in cooperation with the Center for Public Policy and Democracy Studies (PODEM) have implemented a 14-month research project within the “Civil Society Dialogue between the EU and Turkey Program”(CSD-V)”, which focuses on youth perceptions in European countries and Turkey, and understanding the socio-political values of the youth and their views on EU-Turkey relations. The study focuses on university-level youth in Turkey and the selected countries of the European Union (Germany, the Netherlands, France and Belgium) with the objective to explore not only their perceptions towards life domains but also their value-sets, including but not limited to life satisfaction, family values, gender values and self-expression values, the latter of which shows the extent of shifting towards a culture of tolerance and political openness. ENC and PODEM looked at the potential impact of intercultural mobility on youth perceptions and the assumed global consciousness through a robust fieldwork study including university students from Turkey who have travelled to Europe for the Erasmus Program, and those from Europe who travelled to Turkey for the same reason. The study also seeks to gather information that would allow the exploration of university students’ attitudes toward the most pressing issues presently confronting Europe, Turkey and the EU, and how their perceptions towards Turkey and Europe, and Turkey-EU relations are evolving in line with the current political, economic and social agenda. ENC and PODEM presented the findings of their project during the final project webinar “Understanding Future Values: Youth and Interaction across the EU and Turkey” which took place on Tuesday 20th of October 2020 and featured keynote presentations by the new Head of EU Delegation to Turkey, Ambassador Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut and the Director General for Relations with the EU, Ambassador Basak Turkoglu.

Apr 07

ENC-EUCAM Fellowship Programme

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ENC-EUCAM Fellowship Programme

Over the course of 2018 until the end of 2020, the CESS office in Groningen hosted 5 groups of each 3 EUCAM fellows for periods of 12 weeks including a ‘research week’ and a ‘debating week’ in 4 Brussels for each of the 3 groups. These visits included items such as visits to the European Parliament; informal interview meetings for research purposes with relevant officials from the EU, as well as training by ENC senior external advisors, roundtables with Belgian academic institutions, and the organisation of public events. The fellows were young nationals from Central Asian states, working in academia or civil society. ENC is a partner institution of the EUCAM.

Feb 02

European Training Programme 2018-2019: Unlocking the Workings of the EU – Module 1

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European Training Programme 2018-2019: Unlocking the Workings of the EU

Module 1

Learn more about how the EU institutions and policy-making works through the European Training Programme.

TRAINING OVERVIEW:

The programme aims at providing a thorough understanding of the EU’s internal workings on a variety of different topics, ranging from external relations in trade, energy and investment to security, innovation, and banking reforms.

Offering 12 topic-specific sessions, the participants will be able to gain multiple insights from different backgrounds. In particular, each session will be constructed in two parts, the first of which will feature a keynote speaker from the EU institutions, who will provide an institutional perspective and introduction to the specific topic.

The second part of each session will encompass a contribution from the rest of the panel, the composition of which varies each week according to the topic in question. Generally speaking, the second part of the panel will be comprised of two experts: one corporate and one academic or expert speaker from NGOs, Academia, Private Sector, Industrial Associations etc.

Each session will also include a short break between the two parts, which will give the participants ample opportunity to exchange ideas with the speakers.

In this way, you will leave the training having gained a comprehensive view on a vast number of EU-interested issues.

TARGET AUDIENCE:

The programme is dedicated to diplomats, EU officials, the private sector, NGOs, and individuals who are interested in deepening their knowledge on the workings of the EU institutions.

FEES:

350€ (VAT excluded)

PRACTICAL INFORMATION:

The programme will be repeated in three modules:

1st Module: 09/04/2018-30/06/2018
2nd Module: 01/10/2018-17/12/2018
3rd Module: 21/01/2019-08/04/2019

Each module will last 12 weeks, with a two-hour session per week.

DRAFT PROGRAMME:

Week 1

Date & Time: 10/04/2018, 10.00-12.00

Venue: European Neighbourhood Council (Rue Washington 40, 1050 Ixelles)

Topic: EU structures and decision-making under Lisbon Treaty provisions (EU institutions and their interaction/Impact of BREXIT on EU governance, policy formulation and decision making)

Keynote Speaker: Dave Keating, Journalist

Panel:

Dr. Seda Gurkan, Lecturer at Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB)

Petr Novak, European Parliament – Administrator – Constitutional Affairs (AFCO)

Moderator: Samuel Doveri Vesterbye, ENC Managing Director

Week 2

Date & Time: 17/04/2018, 10.00-12.00

Venue: European Neighbourhood Council (Rue Washington 40, 1050 Ixelles)

Topic: EU structures and decision-making under Lisbon Treaty provisions (The EU budget/Strengthening of the EU economic governance in the aftermath of the financial crisis)

Keynote Speaker: Prof. Michele Chang, Professor at College of Europe (Bruges)

Panel:

Andrej Stuchlik, Policy Adviser, European Investment Bank (EIB)

Leo Hoffmann-Axthelm, Research & Advocacy Coordinator at Transparency International EU

Moderator: Dr. Andrea Mogni, ENC External Advisor & Senior Expert at the Global Governance Institute.

The subscription to the programme is valid for all three modules, in case of unavailability to attend certain sessions.

Week 3

Date & Time: 23/04/2018, 10:00-12:00

Venue: European Parliament, Altiero Spinelli A5G-1

Topic: EU Thematic (internal) Policies (1): (Sustainability – environment, circular economy and climate change issues, including financing for adaptation and mitigation)

Opening Remarks: Ilhan Kyuchyuk, MEP (ALDE) & AFET Member

Keynote Speaker: Wendel Trio, Director at Climate Action Network

Panel:

Niels Schuster, International Relations Officer, DG CLIMA

Dr. Katja Biedenkopf, Assistant Professor at Leuven International and European Studies, KU Leuven

Moderator: Samuel Doveri Vesterbye, ENC Managing Director

Week 4

Date & Time: 30/04/2018, 10.00-12.00

Venue: European Parliament, Altiero Spinelli A5G-1

Topic: EU Thematic (internal) Policies (2): Innovation (Innovation Union, Digital Europe, Connecting Europe, Horizon 2020 and annual action plans, Smart cities)

Keynote Speaker: Helen Kopman, Deputy Head of Unit, Start-ups & Innovation, DG Connect

Panel:

Louis Papaemmanouel, Expert in Funding for Startups and SMEs, Director of EU Startup Services

Domenico Rossetti di Valdalbero, Deputy Head of Unit at the European Commission, Research and Innovation (RTD)

Moderator: Dr. Andrea Mogni, ENC External Advisor & Visiting Professor at Saint Louis University.

Week 5

Date & Time: 08/05/18, 10.00-12.00

Venue: InfoPoint Europa, Rue Archimede 1, (1st floor)

Topic: EU Thematic (internal) Policies (3): Investment (The EFSI programme and EU policies and incentives to attract FDI to Europe)

Keynote Speaker: Lucas Lenchant, Policy Advisor at the European Investment Bank (EIB)

Panel:

Jacek Truszczynski, Policy Coordinator at DG ECFIN

James Watson, Director of Economics at Business Europe

Moderator: Dr. Andrea Mogni, ENC External Advisor & Visiting Professor at Saint Louis University.

Week 6

Date & Time: 14/05/18, 10:00-12:00

Venue: European Parliament, Altiero Spinelli A5G-1

Topic: EU Thematic (internal) Policies (4): Industrial Development (SMEs development and their internationalization-COSME programme and the role of the EIB)

Keynote Speaker: Giacomo Mattino, Head of Unit – Enterprise Europe Network and Internationalisation of SMEs, DG GROW

Panel:

Maria Pia Vigliarolo del Colombo, Policy Officer – SME policy activities and mainstreaming of SME policy, DG GROW

Armando Melone, Policy Officer – COSME Financial Instruments, DG GROW

Moderator: Andreas Marazis, ENC Head Researcher for Eastern Europe & Central Asia

Week 7

Date & Time: 22/05/18, 10:00-12:00

Venue: InfoPoint Europa, Rue Archimede 1, (1st floor)

Topic: Trade and Foreign Investment Policies and Issues (1): EU Trade Policies and the new EU anti-dumping legislation/EU Market Access and rules of origin provisions in the context of globalized supply chains

Keynote Speaker: Fabrice d’Aprile, Deputy Head of Unit General Policy and WTO relations, relations with industry, DG TRADE

Panel:

Deniz Servantie, Independent Consultant

Eleonora Catella, Senior Adviser, Business Europe

Moderator: Dr. Andrea Mogni, ENC External Advisor & Visiting Professor at Saint Louis University.

Week 8 (postponed)

New Date & Time: 02/07/18, 10.00-12.00

Venue: InfoPoint Europa, Rue Archimede 1, (1st floor)

Topic: Trade and Foreign Investment Policies and Issues (2): New Risks (fiscal dumping, competitive devaluations, exchange rate manipulations)/The EU in WTO

Keynote Speaker: Guus Houttuin, EEAS Adviser Trade Issues and Business Coordinator

Panel:

Prof. Pierre-Guillaume Meon, Professor of Economics at UniversitÃ© Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and Director of the Centre Emile Bernheim

Dominique Orsini, Managing Director, Political Edge

Moderator: Dr. Andrea Mogni, ENC External Advisor & Visiting Professor at Saint Louis University.

Week 9

Date & Time: 06/06/2018, 10.00-12.00

Venue: European Parliament, Altiero Spinelli, A1E-1

Topic: Trade and Foreign Investment Policies and Issues (3): The EU and International Sanction Regimes/The EU’s FTA, BIT, CU, DCFTA, EPA, EBA, PCA and AA negotiations and agreements

Keynote Speaker: Balazs Kiss, Policy Coordinator at DG Trade

Panel:

Martin Russell, Research Administrator at European Parliament

Dr. Laura Puccio, Research Administrator at European Parliament

Moderator: Samuel Doveri Vesterbye, ENC Managing Director

Week 10

Date & Time: 12/06/2018, 10.00-12.00

Venue: InfoPoint Europa, Rue Archimede 1, (1st floor)

Topic: Trade and Foreign Investment Policies and Issues (4): Development policies and policies towards the countries in transition (BRICs, ACPs, transition countries in the EU Neighbourhood and the Balkans)/Investment facilitation instruments (the role of the EIB, EBRD and European Investment/Development financial institutions)

Keynote Speaker: Franco Conzato, Deputy Head of Unit, Results and Business Processes DEVCO confirmed

Panel:

Paulus Geraedts, Team Leader, Outreach and investment services, Secretariat of the External Investment Plan, European Commission

Fernando Nino-Page, Policy Officer, Neighbourhood South, Maghreb, DG NEAR

Moderator: Samuel Doveri Vesterbye, ENC Managing Director

Week 11

Date & Time: 20/06/2018, 10.00-12.00

Venue: European Parliament, Altiero Spinelli, A5G-1

Topic: EU External Policies: (Public Diplomacy/Strategic Communication/Human Rights/EU and Civil Society Organisations (EU external instruments (EIDHRs, Partnership Instrument, Instrument for Stability, thematic DCI))

Keynote Speaker: Pietro De Matteis, Advisor on Public Diplomacy at the EEAS

Panel:

Tika Tsertsvadze, International Advocacy Manager – International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR)

Anneli Ahonen, East Stratcom Task Force, Strategic Communications, EEAS

Moderator: Andreas Marazis, ENC Head Researcher for Eastern Europe & Central Asia

Week 12

Date & Time: 26/06/18, 10.00-12.00

Venue: InfoPoint Europa, Rue Archimede 1, (1st floor)

Topic: EU policies and instruments in the fields of Security, Defence, anti-Terrorism and Migration (EU relations with the UN and NATO/The role of the European Defense Agency)

Keynote Speaker: Samuel Doveri Vesterbye, ENC Managing Director

Panel:

Elena Lazarou, Senior Policy Analyst, European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS)

Shahr-yar Sharei, Executive Director – Center for United Nations Constitutional Research (CUNCR)

Moderator: Andreas Marazis, ENC Head Researcher for Eastern Europe & Central Asia

With the exception of the first two sessions, the remaining ten meetings will be evenly distributed between the European Parliament and the Infopoint Europa (Rue Archimede 1, 1st floor).

The registration is now open for participants who wish to attend the first cycle of trainings. Due to limited seats available you are encouraged to register early by sending an e-mail to media@encouncil.org using “European Training Programme” as a subject.

For more information regarding the topics, check the European Training Programme brochure below.

European Training Programme Brochure